Padding for goal posts



Se t. 24, 1963 L. A. DOYLE PADDING FOR GOAL'POSTS Filed June 20. 1960 LEO A. DOYLE its States Patent Ofice 3,l@d,875 Patented Sept. 24, 1963 3,104,875 PADDING FOR GDAL POSTS Leo A. Doyle, 1221 S. Ballou, Spokane, Wash. Filed June 20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,510 4 Claims. ((1 273--55) My present invention relates broadly to safety devices and more particularly to protective padding for posts and the like.

In active sports such as football and basketball, frequently a playerwill inadvertentlycollide with a goal post or a supporting post, forexample, a basket support framework in basketball. This is particularly evident in what is termed professional football because the goal posts are placed only slightly removed from the goal line instead of five yards removed as in collegiate football.

Obviously, there are many other sports having posts or similar appurtenances in or adjacent to the playing area with which a fast moving player may collide, for example, the uprights of a hockey goal, and supporting posts for backstops in baseball and so forth.

Furthermore, protective padding for posts has a very real application to posts in parking garages, storage warehouses, industrial plants, and similar places where one is apt to strike a post while moving things from place to place.

I am aware that it is well known to provide bumper strips or guard rails about appurtenances to minimize the damage to the moving body as well as the stationary post or appurtenance, but these have only partially solved the problem because they have not been designed for protection in extreme conditions.

The present invention seeks to provide a protective jacket for obviating all of the foregoingdeficiencies as well as others which will become apparent during the course of the following specification when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of goal posts having the present invention secured thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view, partially in section, of the padding and single post;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section showing the padding secured to a post;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross section taken substantially on a plane indicated by line 4-4 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the modified species of FIGURE 4.

In the drawing the numeral indicates in its entirety goal posts comprising two upright posts 11, connected by a horizontal bar 12 in the well known fashion. The padding indicated in its entirety by numeral 13 is applied adjacent to the ground or other surface 14 and extends upwardly any desired distance to provide protective padding as required in the particular use. With respect to goal posts, I have found that the padding should extend from five to six feet above the surface of the playing field 14.

The padding comprises a tubular jacket 15 which is adapted to encircle the post 11 in spaced relationship thereto. At one side, extending for its full length, the jacket may have an opening 16 to permit the jacket to be placed in encircling relationship to the post by causing the post to enter through the opening into the jacket. However, the opening 16 is unnecessary under certain conditions where the jacket may be telescopically applied over an end of the post.

In many instances the opening would be required, and in such cases, as seen in FIGURE 2, one edge 17 of the This is accomplished by offsetting a portion 19 a distance equal to the thickness of the jacket body and then spot welding or otherwise securing a lip or plural tongues 20 as shown in FIGURE 2.

A resilient pad is applied to the outer face of the'jacket as by an adhesive at 22 and said padding also has a separable joint 23 coincident to the opening 16. A fabric cover or sleeve 24 is applied to the outer face of the resilient pad 21 and'is stitched at 25 to releasably apply the cover thereto so that it may be removed when it is desired to apply or remove the padding 1'3 with respect to the post 11.

The jacket '15 is provided with plural inwardly extendeach said clamp into clamping position with respect to i the post 11. In FIGURE 2 the means 33 takes the form of an over-center latch while in FIGURE 4 the means 33' is a clamping bolt and cooperating nut.

Since the clamps 3 1 have their means 33 and 33 radially coincident to the opening 16 and joint 23, obviously one may apply and remove the padding 13 from the post 11 by passing the post '11 through the opening provided.

To prevent accidental separation of the edges 17 and 18, I provide a tension spring 34 connected between a pair of lugs 26 one at each side of the opening 16. In the species particularly disclosed in FIGURES 4 and 5, I

provide an annular ring 35 which is U-shaped in cross section and encircles the post I l. The ring 35 is secured to the post by any conventional means, such as by welding 36. The clamp 31 instead of clamping directly to the post 11, is designed to mate with the way 35 and when the shoulders 37 impinge by reason of the clamping bolt 33, a slipping or sliding journal is provided so that the padding may revolve around the post 11. Normally, when one inadvertently strikes a post while playing a game or moving materials, it is a glancing blow which is struck. When the padding is mounted to revolve around the post 11, the deceleration experienced by striking the padding is considerably less than when the padding is anchored rigidly to the post. Also the ability for the padding to give lessens the damage which may be experienced by a person or object striking the post.

It is therefore obvious that by supporting the padding 13 substantially concentrically with the post by means of yieldable springs, I have materially minimized the probability of damage to the person or article striking the post. It will be understood that the springs 28 may be either tension or compression springs and it will function equally as well irrespective of the choice.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. Protective padding for a post, comprising: an inflexible vertically elongated tubular jacketreleasably secured along one side thereof for its full length to form an opening; a resilient pad adheringly secured on the outer face of said jacket and having a separable joint coincident to the said opening; a fabric covering over said pad and jacket and having its edges stitched together for releasably closing said opening and joint; inwardly extending circumferentially spaced spring means carried by said jacket; and means on the inner ends of said springs and adapted circumambient relationship thereto.

3 2. The'combination with a substantially vertical rigid post, of protective padding therefor comprising an inflexible vertically elongated tubular padded jacket encircling said post in spaced relationship; clamps encircling said post within said jacket; means confining said clamps against movement axially of said post; and resilient means supporting said jacket upon said clamps.

3. The combination with a substantially vertical rigid post of revolvable protective padding therefor, comprising:

an inflexible elongated tubular padded jacket encircling said post in spaced initially concentric relationship, said jacket being releasably secured along one side thereof for its full length to form an opening; circumferentially continuous Ways fixedly spaced on said post Within the axial limits of said jacket;

a hinged follower mounted to each way for rotation thereon and separable at one side coincident to the opening of said jacket; and

resilient means yieldably supporting said jacket upon said followers for rotation therewith.

4. Protective padding for a post, comprising: an inflexible vertically elongated tubular jacket releasably secured along one side thereof for its full length to form an opening; a resilient pad secured on the outer face of said jacket and having a separable joint coincident to the said opening; a covering over said .pad and jacket and jacket in spaced circumani'bient relationship thereto; said last named means comprising hinged clamps having an open side radially coincident to said joint and opening and adapted to receive therein and clamp tightly about the post; and means for securing each said clamp in the clamping position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 523,422 Bailey ...7 July 24, 1894 970,848 Patronaggio Sept.:- 20, 1910 1,341,219 Ridgway May 25, 1920 1,420,065 Stillman -Q June 20, 1922 1,467,456 Silvius Sept. 11, 1923 1,801,158 Howe Apr. 14, 1931 1,893,702 Glenn Jan. 10, 1933 2,197,545 Bachman etal Apr. '16, 1940- 2,750,064 Clarke June 12, 1956 2,993,694 Foley July 25, 1961' FOREIGN PATENTS r 290,074- Germany Mar. 28, 1913 

2. THE COMBINATION WITH A SUBSTANTILLY VERTICAL RIGID POST, OF PROTECTIVE PADDING THEREFOR COMPRISING AN INFLEXIBLE VERTICALLY ELONGATED TUBULAR PADDED JACKET ENCIRCLING SAID POST IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP, CLAMPS ENCIRCLING 